Secretary of State Shelley Announces E-Voting Machine Requirement

California Takes Lead in Protecting Democratic Voting

Sacramento, CA - Responding to a raft of reports detailing flaws in electronic
voting systems, California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley this week announced
that he is requiring all electronic voting systems purchased by California
counties to provide a paper printout that would allow voters to verify their
votes and auditors to verify election results.

The Secretary of State is responsible for certifying all voting machines used
for elections within the state of California.
EFF has urged election officials and legislators to require that electronic
voting machines use publicly reviewed software and generate a paper record,
giving voters the ability to verify their votes as well as creating a "paper
trail" for potential recounts.

"Secretary of State Shelley has taken a courageous and important step in
response to the growing public concern about the security of voting machines,"
said EFF Legal Director Cindy Cohn. "Paper audit trails are currently the best
way to prevent anyone from bungling or stealing our elections."

"We hope that California can continue to lead the country and the world in
implementing secure electronic voting standards," added EFF Activist Ren Bucholz.

"By requiring a voter-verified paper trail, the Secretary of State has taken a
critical step toward preserving the integrity of the voting process in the wake
of new technologies that change the ways in which we vote," commented California
Voter Foundation President Kim Alexander.

Media coverage:

Court Hears Case on Recording Industry Threats

PacBell ISP Defends Customers' Privacy

San Francisco - In a hearing Friday, Pacific Bell Internet Services defended the
privacy of its Internet service customers in the wake of legal threats by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

EFF, the ACLU, and 15 other consumer, child safety, and privacy organizations
filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of PacBell in its struggle to
protect users' privacy after the RIAA issued non-judicial subpoenas under
section 512(h) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). These subpoenas
require no judicial oversight or lawsuit before an Internet user's name, address
and phone number are turned over to anyone claiming to be a copyright holder.

"PacBell has resisted the RIAA's reckless subpoenas because they have a
legitimate interest in protecting their customers' privacy," said EFF Legal
Director Cindy Cohn.

The ACLU/EFF brief argues that, in addition to the problems raised by PacBell,
section 512(h) does not provide sufficient due process for Internet users.
"This provision is so devoid of procedural protections that it is an invitation
to mistake and abuse," the brief asserts.

Media coverage:

Slim Devices to Donate 10% of Net Profits to EFF

Defending Online Rights Is Corporate Responsibility

Mountain View, CA - Slim Devices, Inc., announced this week a wide-ranging
relationship with EFF to support and promote the foundation's work to its customers.

"Every day the digital rights of citizens are under attack by special interests
that want to protect antiquated business models rather than embrace the
opportunities created by new technologies," said Sean Adams, president of Slim
Devices, Inc. "EFF is at the forefront of this consumer rights issue, and we
are pleased to do our part by mobilizing our customers. We hope that this will
encourage other corporations to actively protect the digital rights of their
customers."

Slim Devices' support of EFF includes donating 10% of net profits
generated from sales its new product, the Squeezebox(TM) network MP3 player,
through the www.slimdevices.com website.

"It's great to see companies like Slim Devices show corporate leadership and
take an active interest in protecting the rights of their customers," said Shari
Steele, Executive Director of EFF. "We hope they can help us bring together
more companies to expand this outreach in a systematic manner."

Links:

It's a Banner Day for EFF: Help Spread the Word!

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for your website or weblog! It only takes a few minutes and helps EFF spread
the word about the importance of defending our fundamental freedoms online.

Too Quick to Copyright
Legal Times article pointing out the hypocrisy of corporations accusing file
sharers of a lack of respect for copyright law when they themselves routinely
flout it - by laying claim to material that is free for everyone to use.

Rep. Kucinich Speaks Out on E-Voting
He blasts Diebold's copyright claims, calls for increased e-voting security and
supports the Holt bill. Kucinich should start a voting machine company if he
doesn't become the next president.

Sharing Music the Old Fashioned Way
Some Apple iPod owners are stopping each other on the street, wordlessly
exchanging headphone jacks, and then proceeding on to their destinations.

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